Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
By signing up, you certify that you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the
Privacy Policy.

Picky eating toddlers

I am the mother of 2yr old twins that have decided that they will not eat anything that I put in front of them--unless it is french fries. I usually cave because I panic about them starving, but is it ok to tell them,"No, this is what I made for lunch, and if you don't eat it, we will try again in an hour or two."

We are at a standoff now, waiting to see who blinks first. What are your thoughts? How did you handle it? It is hard not to take personally, I know I am no Julia Childs, but seriously....

nah its just the age....they go through a growth lull around 2ish and sometimes go through periods of eating very little. (compared to how fast they grow in the first few years, they can be FANTASTIC eaters, then suddenly be the finickiest fussy breeches LOL)

It can get super frustrating and you just want to shovel in any sustenance they are willing to take LOL. Keep firm and it will get better!

Quoting OCALAMOMOFTWINS:

Thankd, it does not help that my ex tells me what great cooks his wife and their nanny are and if they aren't eating over here, it is because I can't cook.

As if being a single mother of toddlers isn't stressful enough...

Quoting SuperPickle:

Hold your ground! This is the time they will quickly learn if they can hold out you will cave. Dont cater and dont cave!!

They will not allow themselves to starve(barring no medical issues of course) Offer healthy choices and if they dont eat, thats it until the next meal/snack time.

by Anonymous 1
on Jul. 7, 2013 at 5:23 PM

Don't give them anything but healthy food. No french fries and crap. If they are hungry they will eat good food.

by Anonymous 2
on Jul. 8, 2013 at 11:31 AM

1 mom liked this

Don't give in, don't give them fast food or junk, the only reason they like it is because you (or dad) have given them that.

I am a very picky eater, I thank that to my mom, EVERYBODY told her to keep in the fridge healthy ready snacks like fruit and vegetables, that when I'd be hungry I'd eat them, but no, she didn't listen thinking I would starve... fast forward 25+ years... I am the pickiest eater, can't stand the texture or flavor of vegetables, hate shelfish and fish, mostly eat red meat and get frustrated and annoyed by it.

They also gave me food when I was upset (I had really bad temper growing up) now I'm also a stress eater.

Also my mom (I love her to death) makes faces when she is offered something new or something she would not eat

I decided not to cause the same damage to my DD and she has neve gone to a fast food place, she knows McDonalds and those types are not healthy or good for her, loves veggies, fruit, healthy smoothies and lost of fish and sea food.

Don't cater and don't let them win because they are the ones loosing in the end.

Refuse the french fries. Watch them. Each time they take a bite, drop a goldfish cracker in a bowl. (One bowl per kid.) Do this all day, then notice just how many crackers are in the bowl! Do this for several days, and you'll notice they get more than you think in a few bites here and there.

As it is, you are letting them manipulate you. Think hard and long of the repercussions they'll have in life if they are allowed to eat only french fries for any length of time! You are Mom, you knwo what is best.

When they are hungry, they WILL eat. They may not scarf it down like their favorite foods, but they will eat enough to grow and live on.

It is very difficult with picky eaters. My daughter is the president if the group. She only like to eat fries, pizza and chicken fingers. my son on the ither hand loves everything. What works for me is to give her a natural food supplement. I like Green Vibrance junior for kids. We make shakes with it together and add fruits, orange juice or anything else she wants to add. It has all the protein, antioxidants and probiotic stuff that good for them. Check them out. Just checked them out and saw that they are running a kids search with prizes and the chance to be face of their product. http://m.facebook.com/VibrantHealth?id=192125737556648&refsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FVibrantHealth&_rdr

I agree that you should hold your ground.
When I grew up, my mother always put three components on the plate (a protein, a vegetable, and a starch). That was it. Cereal such as Cheerios was the only (later) option.
When it comes to my two children, I always make one dish. I take their preferences into consideration, but I will not make additional items the way my parents did for my stepsisters. I am lucky they enjoy certain meat, fish, and vegetables, but I owe that to the fact that I've never allowed them to not take at least one bite of a new thing (as well as trying things they didn't like before). I have read that sometimes it takes so many tastes to like a certain item, and I keep that in mind. All I ask of them is one bite ever. If they dislike it, fine. But at least they tried.

Great advice, only I am worried that they will eat the goldfish-another one of their favorite snacks!

Quoting Mrs.Kubalabuku:

Try this:

Refuse the french fries. Watch them. Each time they take a bite, drop a goldfish cracker in a bowl. (One bowl per kid.) Do this all day, then notice just how many crackers are in the bowl! Do this for several days, and you'll notice they get more than you think in a few bites here and there.

As it is, you are letting them manipulate you. Think hard and long of the repercussions they'll have in life if they are allowed to eat only french fries for any length of time! You are Mom, you knwo what is best.

When they are hungry, they WILL eat. They may not scarf it down like their favorite foods, but they will eat enough to grow and live on.

Send me email updates about messages I've received on the site and the latest news from The CafeMom Team.
By signing up, you certify that you are female and accept the Terms of Service and have read the
Privacy Policy.